For freelancers – the one-person profit centers that take business into their own hands – keeping existing clients happy while adding new ones can be especially challenging. While talking with a freelance app developer recently, my friend asked about which BlackBerry apps are best for freelancers. Naturally I thought this would make for a great app list on the Inside BlackBerry Blog, so here are a few great apps to help freelancers do everything from managing their time to transferring files. And since we know freelancers work on a tight budget, all of the following apps are free to download:

timr – Time and Mileage Tracker by troii Software GmbH: timr is a project time tracker app for BlackBerry smartphones that includes a web application component for syncing your data whether you are at home or on the go. If you travel across time zones, timr can adjust your work clock to ensure accurate billing of your clients. It’s like having a pocket project manager.

Box for BlackBerry PlayBook by Box, Inc.: Box allows you to create your files on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, laptop, or desktop, then access and edit the files from anywhere. Since portable hard drives can be dropped and flash drives can be easily lost, Box for BlackBerry PlayBook makes sure you have access to your files anytime and anywhere.

Freelancer’s Estimation Assistance Tool by M Khurram: This helpful app for your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet – called FEAT by its developer – allows you to quickly calculate your hourly rate for a project when creating a quote for a potential client. It’s a relatively new app to the BlackBerry World storefront, but the interface looks slick. I think it’s got a bright future.

xLancer by Zhaidarbek Ayazbayev by Handster Inc.: The folks at Handster are known for bringing some quality apps to the BlackBerry World storefront, and xLancer is certainly one of the more useful apps for freelancers. By connecting with online freelance site Elance, xLancer offers a more robust set of tools for searching and flagging jobs in which you are bidding on or offering to other freelancers.

Color LED by DAN INFO TECH: I love this app for dividing my contacts into LED colors on my BlackBerry smartphone. Coworkers’ calls flash red, family flashes green, and when my boss calls…“police strobe.” These classifications allow me to know who’s calling even while my device is on the other side of the room. How does this help a freelancer? Imagine different color LEDs for current clients, clients you’ve quoted, and for personal calls. Could be pretty helpful, right?

Though this list is geared toward freelancers, those of us working with an organization could probably benefit from these as well. Freelancers, feel free to share any additional apps you use to keep your clients, and thus your life, organized.

Having previously told you about some of my favorite BlackBerry smartphone training apps for runners, I also wanted to note that I like to exercise my mind as well as body, and have been known to take advantage of yoga apps from the BlackBerry World storefront. But to reach a state of zen or nirvana, I recently learned of a new technique called brainwave entrainment.

Now, entrainment is more than just entertainment spelled incorrectly; it is a principle of physics. It is defined as the synchronization of two or more rhythmic cycles. Brainwave entrainment is the brain’s electrical response to rhythmic sensory stimulation, like a binaural beat.

When tones of slightly different frequencies are heard separately in the left and right ears, the listener recognizes only a single tone, or binaural beat. If the rhythmic stimulation becomes consistent enough, it can start to resemble the natural rhythm of brainwaves. It is believed that by manipulating brainwaves, different mental states, like sleep, can be reproduced. The concept has also been applied to mental states of concentration, creativity and meditation.

The BlackBerry 10 launch event has already brought some amazing news. Now we’re looking at the new BBM Video Chat featuring Screenshare technology. This brings BBM, or BlackBerry Messenger, to the next level and highlights the essence of BlackBerry 10 – real-time communication. Here at the event, Vivek made the first public BBM Video Chat live from New York City to London, England, meeting face-to-face with Andrew Bocking, SVP, Software Product Management at BlackBerry.

Imagine also being able to share your screen with friends and family as you walk them through a photo album – or with colleagues as you walk through a document or presentation – all while still staying on the call. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

To see it in action for yourself, checkout this walkthrough with Vivek:

What do you think about BBM Video Chat featuring Screenshare? Who will be the first person you video chat with?

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/01/bbm-video-chat-on-blackberry-10/feed/0donnyhalliwellVivek and Thorsten present BlackBerry 10The Pursuit of “App-iness”http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/01/choosing-blackberry-apps/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/01/choosing-blackberry-apps/#commentsThu, 24 Jan 2013 21:43:34 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=15413]]>No two people have the same exact taste when it comes to buying jeans, cars, or even mobile apps — and I believe this is a good thing. Since we all have unique ways of using our BlackBerry devices, we have different app needs. But buying lots of apps can get expensive, so how do you determine which apps will add something to your mobile life? Here are three criteria I use when choosing a mobile app:

Price: The value of the right app is endless, but that doesn’t always mean the best apps are free. I like to focus on what the app allows me to do instead of how much it costs. This helps me to consider what value I can receive from the app, and how much I’m willing to pay to get the most out of the apps on my BlackBerry device.

Word of Mouth: When perusing the reviews in BlackBerry World, I tend to skim the highest and lowest ratings and focus on 3-star or 4-star reviews. Why? Because I feel these reviewers are posting well-thought out, detailed responses. They want the app to succeed, but they also acknowledge any perceived shortcomings and usually offer feedback for how the developer can make the app better.

Usefulness: Like many people I talk to, I also use my BlackBerry device for work, and so I tend to choose apps that will be the most useful to me while on the job. But I also like to have fun. So whether you classify “useful” as a powerful utility or a heart-stopping game, download what you’re going to use, and use what you download.

Using these criteria, I’ve downloaded many great mobile apps from BlackBerry World that suit my needs for both work and play. How about you? What criteria do you use when choosing your apps? Let us know how you plan for your pursuit of “app-iness” in the comments below!

]]>http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/01/choosing-blackberry-apps/feed/0donnyhalliwellMy BlackBerry Day Offhttp://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/01/day-off-from-smartphone/
http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/01/day-off-from-smartphone/#commentsThu, 10 Jan 2013 20:54:19 +0000http://blogs.blackberry.com/?p=15242]]>Even if I didn’t work for BlackBerry, I’d be a rabid fan of the devices. For those of us on Team BlackBerry, it’s just in our DNA. That’s why what I have to tell you may be hard to hear: Sometimes, I leave my BlackBerry devices at home and wander off the grid. Readers of the Inside BlackBerry Blog (“The Big Show” as Alex Kinsella calls it) might wonder if our mobile devices are glued to our hands 24 hours per day. But everyone needs to take a day off, and we are no exception.

So how do I handle being out of communication for my whole day off? By planning ahead. I use my BlackBerry Bold smartphone to turn on my Out of Office notifications, set up an all-day appointment on my calendar, and then run out to face the day with reckless abandon. (But just for one day. I’m not that crazy.)

Getting directions somewhere without GPS navigation or remembering appointments without my calendar is difficult, and I can’t always make it the whole day without taking a peek at my email. But overall it’s a nice break from technology, and makes me appreciate the help my device provides that much more.

What would you do if you took a BlackBerry day off? What kinds of things do you find more challenging without technological assistance? Let me know in the comments below!

Last year, I wrote about BlackBerry Apps for Runners, which my wife and I have used while getting into running. Now I am by no means a hardcore diet or exercise fanatic, but I definitely care about staying in shape. So, I’ve equipped my BlackBerry smartphone with apps that help me monitor my fitness progress, and hopefully stick to my 2013 resolution.

Healthy living enthusiasts, here are some great apps available in the BlackBerry App World storefront to keep you going (or get you started).

Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal, LLC: Monitor your food intake and exercise, plus set goals and view progress charts with this mobile app for your BlackBerry smartphone. A media darling, this mobile app has been featured in the news for its database of nearly 2 million foods and more than 350 exercises. And since I spend a good part of my day at my desk, a great bonus is that I can access my profile from the web too.

Diet and Calorie Tracker by SparkPeople, Inc.: A major determinate of successful weight management is the setting and meeting of goals. This app excels in the ‘goals’ category, and really plays to the lazy guy in me by providing daily meal plans that keep me tracking towards my objectives. Since I like variety and get bored of the dieter’s ubiquitous chicken breast and grilled veggies, I use this Free Healthy Recipes app, also by SparkPeople, Inc. (FREE), for more than 200,000 dish ideas.

Health Meter – Health Tracker Fitness Calculator by Pace MobiTech: This app allows users to quickly calculate their daily caloric needs by measuring BMI (Body Mass Index), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), Body Fat and Hip-to-Waste Ratio. Other than my yearly check-up at the doctor or sporadic use of the scale at my gym, I have very little insight into these measurements. Having an app that does the math for me is a great help!

When you think of a beautiful and relaxing summer day at the beach, in the garden, or by the pool, what sort of items do you picture yourself needing? At the beach you’ll need sunscreen, a blanket, and maybe a game to keep the kids occupied. In the garden, odds are that you’ll want a spade, plants, and a pretty good plan. By the pool, don’t forget a towel, pool toys, and a good book. Pay attention, because here’s the really cool part: The BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet can help replace one of these items no matter where you go this summer! Let me show you how:

Life’s a Beach!

Kids love the sand and the swimming at the beach, but sandcastles and shells can sometimes give way to sighs of “I’m bored” right when you finally get comfortable. BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to the rescue!

Encourage the kids to take pictures of their sand creations and send them to family members or post to social networks. Check out the photo frame apps in the BlackBerry App World™ storefront for that extra touch!

Fire up a game like TETRIS™ or Monopoly for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet for the whole family to play while enjoying the waves.

Browse the Internet with the kids to learn the history of the beach and some of the wildlife that occupies it. Searches for “shark attack” should be avoided, however.

No Green Thumb, No Problem

While navigating the mysteries of your garden, budding botanists and pros alike may sometimes wonder what to plant where, what grows best in shade, and what’s with that leafy thing that never seems to die. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet has your back again.

Browse the Internet to research the best places to plant, when to plant, and what to plant to create your dream garden. Some websites may even let you buy plants online and pick them up at the store.

Photograph plants you are unsure of whether to dig up or water, and share them with experts or friends to get the whole story. Was that poison ivy you just stepped on?

Show off your beautiful garden when you’re done by sharing 1080p HD movies and photos!

Poolside with the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

An afternoon by the pool can be among the most relaxing of summer activities, but all that laying around can sometimes get a bit boring. After all, we are “BlackBerry People”, and we like to get things done! Here’s how the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet can help.

Load up a book in Kobo Reader and get lost in your favorite fiction, cower from a thriller, or swoon through a romance novel from the comfort of your deck chair.

Shoot high-quality HD video and pictures of the kids diving from the high-dive or jumping into the pool. You never know when you may need to access it later for an Olympic highlight reel or a wedding slideshow!

These are just a few suggestions and my favorite ways to use the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in the summer, but I’d love to hear yours as well. Where will you and your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet go to chill?